Photograph by: Dave Sandford, Getty Images files

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VANCOUVER — The four-month wait is over for elite Vancouver Canuck prospect Cody Hodgson, who is scheduled to resume his playing career Thursday with the Ontario Hockey League's Brampton Battalion.

Hodgson has been out with back issues since he appeared in the Canucks' final pre-season game Sept. 27. Originally injured during a dryland training session in July, the 19-year-old centre tried to play through the problem during Vancouver's NHL exhibition schedule. He did not perform well, laboured with his skating and, finally, complained that he didn't have the necessary explosiveness in his right leg due to a bulging disc impinging on a nerve.

Months of physiotherapy didn't resolve the problem until Hodgson received a cortisone injection in December. The skilled centre, last season's Canadian major junior player of the year, had to pass on this year's world junior tournament where he was expected to be named Team Canada captain.

“We're certainly happy that Cody will resume his playing career in the OHL this week,” Canucks assistant GM Laurence Gilman said Monday from Montreal. ”He has informed us that he now feels he's ready to play. It's been a long road for him. He's worked extremely hard to get back to this point and he feels he is 100 per cent ready to resume his career.”

The Battalion, who were OHL playoff finalists last season, are currently struggling with 17-21-12 record. They are fourth in their five-team division and tied for 16th overall in the 20-team league. The Battalion have 18 games remaining in their regular season. If they don't qualify for the playoffs or get quickly eliminated, Hodgson will then be eligible to join the Canucks' Manitoba Moose farm team in the American Hockey League. Or join the Canucks.

Gilman conceded no one expected Hodgson to be sidelined so long.

“When this started, we didn't anticipate that it would be until this time that he began playing,” Gilman said. “But these things happen, you know. Cody is a big part of our future and we look forward to him continuing his progress as a player. Throughout this whole process, we wanted to ensure that he was in good health and ready to play.”

The Battalion will be at home Thursday to the Erie Otters, then play in London on Saturday before returning home Sunday to meet Sault Ste Marie.

BEST OF BURKIE: Leafs general manager Brian Burke was in his glory on the weekend, tie askew, in command, sure of himself, quick with a quip and Mr. Quotable.

The Buds' boss obviously had to do something after his sad-sack squad collapsed Saturday against the Canucks. Burkie has always adored the limelight. Back in 1987-88, as a rookie assistant GM with the Canucks, he had his own radio show, unheard of for an assistant GM. (Okay, it was really Dan Russell's Sportstalk, but Burke's regular Wednesday's appearances were appointment listening.)

He was always “Burkie” — that's how he'd identify himself when he called you back — and you didn't mess with him. When a local columnist penned something negative about the Canucks, not hard in those days, Burkie would return fire.

“That guy's spine is thinner than dental floss,” he thundered.

Burke has a million one-liners, too. Asked about his salary cap situation after Sunday's roster overhaul, he replied: "Right now, it's like a new pair of underwear. It's uncomfortably tight."

Pretty good stuff, although our favourite remains his description of a certain hard-nosed player. “He's tougher than a night in jail,” quipped the Burke-meister.

Burke knew how to work a crowd and, to borrow a line from another columnist, was never too busy to tell you how busy he was. When he left the Canucks a second time — fired following the 2003-04 season — a roast was held in his honour. Naturally, the place was packed with dignitaries like former Judge Wally Oppal and former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell, who hilariously told the story of Burke making some sort of demands on behalf of the hockey club.

Campbell claimed he absorbed all of Burke's bluster and then thought to himself, if push came to shove: “You know what? I can take this bastard.”

Campbell was 56 at the time, Burke 48. (Our money was on Campbell, by the way...)

Then there was the memorable press conference during the 2002 playoff series against Detroit when Burke told the hockey world that: “Sedin is not Swedish for punch me or headlock me in a scrum.” Or this: “Our goaltender [Dan Cloutier] can be identified by the large pads and the mask he wears and he's also the goaltender that does not dive when he gets brushed.”

That's just some of the best of Burkie. Maybe he'll cut a CD one day. There is a Grammy for best comedic performance, isn't there?

WORTH REPEATING: Canuck backup Andrew Raycroft appeared to be having the time of his life in the late stages of Saturday's 5-3 victory over the Leafs. In fact, the ex-Leaf was. The only thing missing was a victory lap.

"I would have went all the way around if I could,'' Raycroft later explained. "I was excited. I didn't really think about what I was doing. I couldn't keep still.''

Cody Hodgson, who has not played since a Sept. 27 NHL exhibition game because of ongoing back problems, was in line to be named captain of Team Canada at this year’s world junior hockey championship.

Photograph by: Dave Sandford, Getty Images files

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